


Everyone has to eat.

by soididthisthing



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Fluff, Food, Friendship, Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:20:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26923507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soididthisthing/pseuds/soididthisthing
Summary: Nick's living expenses aren't that bad when you don't eat, but what do you do in a world where food is the universal gift of thanks?
Relationships: Ellie Perkins & Nick Valentine
Comments: 9
Kudos: 32





	Everyone has to eat.

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, I don't really care for Fallout's cap-based economy and think there'd be far, far more bartering and gift-giving.
> 
> And will I tell Nick he deserves nice things in every fic I write about him? Probably.

Food was how you said “thank you” in the Commonwealth. It was the gift no one ever refused, because you could never count on your next meal.

Everyone has to eat, after all.

Food was a common sight at the agency. Ellie would open the door some mornings to find a trio of just-ripened mutfruits on the doorstep, carefully bundled in a scrap of burlap. Or maybe a washed out tin of Cram, packed to the brim with coffee. Humble thank-yous from grateful clients with little else to give, in the universal language of the wasteland.

It played out the same way every time; she’d bring the gift inside and Nick would wave his hand. “Go and enjoy yourself, kid, you deserve it and I know things have been tight around here lately.”

Everyone has to eat, after all.

The morning of New Year’s Eve, it was a single bottle of champagne. An oversized tag was tied to the neck: “ _May you enjoy all the finer pleasures the new year has to bring, Mr. Valentine_.”

It was clearly from an Upper Stands client ( _probably the ransom case_ , Ellie thought). The sort that wouldn’t give Nick the time of day until that time was when they desperately needed his help.

Nick strode over to his secretary and closed the door as Ellie wordlessly handed him the bottle. He chuckled wryly at the tag’s deliberate, yet awkward phrasing written in a florid hand.

“How can you find it funny?” Ellie fumed. “This isn’t the same as a well-meaning farmer sharing their crop with us because they’re broke and don't know any better. It’s clearly a back-handed compliment, they know you can't drink this!”

“Maybe so, but you gotta admit it’s a laugh how far those Upper Stands nitwits will go to be jackasses. It’s an insult, sure, but an expensive one.” He winked.

Ellie looked up, brightly, “We should sell it, then.”

Nick shook his head. “And make us - *me* - look ungrateful? That’s just what they want. _‘Look how the synth looks down upon us humans, see how he rejects our goodwill.’_ Bah.”

Ellie sighed. "Then we’ll save it. For a special occasion.”

Nick gave a little smile at his secretary. “It’s New Year’s Eve, Ellie.” He said, softly. “Go enjoy it with that young man of yours.”

“But, it’s too special to waste on just me and Jack!”

“Ell, how many bottles of champagne do you think are out there in the ruins, covered in dust because people kept waiting for a special occasion that never came? Every day you’re *alive* is special, not to mention an entire goddamned year.”

He pushed the bottle back into her hands. “Now get outta here, I thought I told you not to even bother coming in today,” he said, not unkindly.

“I wanted to wish you a Happy New Year.”

“Oh. Uh.” Nick looked away, suddenly embarrassed.

“And to give you this.” She put the bottle in her bag and in its place drew out a long shallow box tied with course twine.

“Aw, Ellie, you know I don’t need anything.”

“It’s not just from me.” She sighed in frustration at his hesitation. “Open the damned box, Nick.”

He carefully untied the string with his good hand, pocketing it to be reused for bundling holotapes later. Lifting the box lid revealed a blue and white silk tie, its bold geometric design still vibrant through two centuries of grime and moth bites. It was neatly held together by a freshly polished silver tie bar inset with a red enamel heart. He gingerly ran a fingertip over the decoration. A *clockwork* heart.

Nick gave a low whistle. “This must’ve cost you a fortune.”

“As I said, it isn’t just from me. It’s a thank you from nearly everyone in Diamond City you’ve helped this past year. Something a little more useful than fruit and booze.”

Everyone has to eat. Except the man who doesn’t.

“Geez, Ell, this is even nicer than anything I’ve seen in the Upper Stands. I can’t accept this in good conscience.”

“You can and you will, Nick Valentine. You deserve nice things.” She considered a different course of attack. “Besides, haven’t you always said that ’ _Living well is the best revenge?_ ’ Can you just imagine the look on those smug Upper Stands faces the next time you wear this on one of their client calls?”

“When they realize they’ve been outclassed by a rusty old synth? Ha!” He barked out a genuine laugh and smiled fondly at the young woman.

“Thanks, Ellie. Really, I mean it.” He wagged a finger at her. “Now scram and don’t come back until that bottle is empty.”

“Happy New Year, Nick.”

“Happy New Year, Ellie.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going a little off-road with my Nick Valentine cosplay and wanted to give him the vintage tie and tiebar I found IRL. :3
> 
> And yeah, I invented a boyfriend for Ellie, don't look too much into it, ha ha.


End file.
